Vancouver’s Thermaspire Technologies has been named one of five finalists for the 8th Annual Okanagan Angel Summit, putting its data centre cooling technology in contention for a $200,000-plus investment fund.
Founded by Jesse Hudkins and Cheryl Gomes, Thermaspire develops resource-efficient cooling systems for data centres, combining evaporative cooling with a hydroponic system designed to reduce both power and water consumption. According to the company, its approach can save operators up to 30% water compared with traditional evaporative cooling.
The startup will pitch live at the Okanagan Angel Summit Finale on Thursday, June 4, at Metro Hub in downtown Kelowna. Investors participating in the summit will deliberate following the pitches and select the winner.
Thermaspire is one of two Vancouver companies in the final five, alongside Bullfinch Earth. The remaining finalists are Saskatoon’s Drawbridge and Toronto-based shuriii and Lyrata. The five finalists were selected from 81 companies across Canada, marking the first year the competition has been opened nationally.
For the data centre industry, Thermaspire’s selection comes as operators face growing pressure to support AI-driven capacity growth while managing electricity and water use. Cooling has become one of the sector’s most important infrastructure challenges, particularly as high-density workloads push facilities toward more efficient thermal management solutions.
The Okanagan Angel Summit is hosted by Accelerate Okanagan and brings together entrepreneurs and angel investors through a structured investment process culminating in the public finale.